Manually-controlled quick-make and quick-break knife switch



Mayzz, 1923. y r1,455,931

H. G. P APE MANUALLY CONTROLLED QUICK MAKE QUICK BREAK KNIFE SWI'l'I'l Filed March 25, 1919 -2 sheets-sheet 1 May-22, 1923. 1,455,931

`. H.G.PAPE

MANUALLY CONTROLLED QUICK MAKE AND QUICK BREAK KNIFE SWITCH Filed March 25, 1919 2 Sheets-Shoot 2 vTo all whom t may concern:

- imita HERMAN G. PAPE, or NEW YORK, N. Y.,

co., INC., E NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORA- BEAVER MACIIINE AN'DTOOL TION OF NEW JERSEY.`

stares inslaan 'r ortica. y

ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0

MANUALLY-CONTROLLED QUICK-MAKE QUICK-BREAK'KNIEE SWITCH.

Application med Marchas, 1919. serial No. 285,003.

Be it known that I, HERMAN G. PAPE, of New York, in the county'and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Manually-Controlled Quick-Make and Quick- Break Knife Switch, of which the followin is RSpeGiiCatiOn. u,

Irdyiiivention relates to the classof-electric switches known as knife switches and particularly to those having a Quick make and a quick break and my maln ob]ec t 1s to provide an efficient and compact swltch of that class.

One feature of my invention is the provis/ion of means to avoid recoil, particularly on making of the circuit, an in the preferred form I provide a yieldin stop to engage the rear half ofthe knife blade and preferably close to the pivot.. s

Another feature is the provision of an' extension of the knife blade to enga e abufr'erl spring on the under sideof theI atter.

Another feature is the extended bearings for the actuating spring.

`Another feature consists in interchangeable parts so that one handle4 may be used with one or any desirednumber of switch-u ing units, which are so connected as to opcrate in unison. L

Another feature' is locatingthe actuating spring so that it operates between the handle member andthe knife blade member-l and preferably.oscillatesbodily in a plane parallel to said members.

Another feature isla bushing of relatively high conductivity carried ,by the handlemember.

Other 'features will be In the drawings y .Figure 1 is a side elevation osfa switch embodying my invention;

igure 2 is a front elevation thereof; i Figure 3 is' a section on line' of Figure 1;

Figurel cation;

pointedv out below.

4 is 'aV/front elevation ofv aimodifb Figure e is` a' dean. f the knifebia-de;

and

F are preferably tion g extending .through- Figure 5 isadetail of apart of the handle -Y members;

. 'The base A is made of slate or othersuiig 'may vbe connected to-a lead wire, said screw a aiso holding in place the fixed contact A which comprises the spring jaws a2 a3 to receive the movable knife blade. I may use screw A2 if 'desired to fasten the base toa suitable support.

Screw B -is to be connected beneath the base with a lead wire and holds in position conducting plate b and also the support which comprises central portion b and in'- tegrai upright perforated posts b2 b3 and also the spring buffer or stop B', the latter consistmg of two parallel leafs having ends b4 and b5 parts hereinafter described. The plvot member D extends through the posts b2 and b3 and to it are pivoted the handle member E ate and .the knife blade member F at f. Suitablefwashersd d are provided and thel ends of member- VD are upset as shown. It is advisable to 4make the,

member E of iron or of other material of relatlvely low conductivity and I thereforeA insert in member E a bushing E4 of brass or copper sopas to increase the conductivity between post b2 and knife blade F which lis of relativel highl conductivity, preferably being ma e` of copper.

In view of the fact that members E and l p of thin sheet metal I prefer to provide specialrelativel long bearing blocks forthe ends of tlie spring H andl I mount one` of those'be'arlng blocks or sockets G on the member E and `the other G; on .the` member F. As they are substantially alike'I shall only -,de' scrlbe bearin block Gr, particular] in connectlon with igu-re 7; vBearing b ook G is a special tubular rivet having a' shank pormemher E, one end of said shankfhaving and' being upset at the lother end-rat, 2,

.the` upset portion being seated a ainst t e .thus provide a bearing much reater inv lengththan er E'and preferably yIextend the shank as at g3 to jfgrm allonger opposite sideof said member E.

the thickness ofmem bearing.

One bent end of -round Wire-springvI-I- is journalled in bearing'block G mounted to limit the movement of certain actuating .y

a shoulder g' at I one'xend seatedvagainst oueside of. member on member F` and the other end in block G mounted on member E, each of said members acting to hold said spring in engage-- which is a bow spring with one coil, said coil being in a plane between, and'parallel to the members E and F, and the body portion of the spring being located between said members, thus giving a very important characteristic of compactness to my in- Vention.

The handle member E is pivoted to member D at e and has an integral extension provided with a shoulder. e to engage the under side of end b5 to limit the movement of member E in the closing movement of the switch and provided with a shoulder c to engage the under side of end b to limit the movement of member E in the opening movement of the switch. Member E is slit at one end and provided with two laterally extending tangs e and e4 threaded to engage i screws which extend through insulating member E, said insulating member having a threaded hole e to receive screw E2, the latter thus holding the handle F3 in place.

The knife blade member F is pivoted at f to member D and has a laterally extending tang` f with a threaded perforation for a purpose hereinafter described. Member F has an integral extension provided with a shoulder f2 to engage the under side of end 715 to limit the opening movement of meniber Fand provided with a shoulder f3 to engage the under side of end b4 to limit the closing movement of member F. My construction of particular advantage because the buffer or stop B has its active or stopping ends very close to the pivot thus practically eliminating recoil, which is important generally in avoiding shaking and jarring of the switch mechanism and its important particularly when the blade engages the fixed contact because any substantial recoil at that time might cause arcing or even break the circuit. I therefore have the stop engage the blade at the rear half of the blade as distinguished from the front half which engages the contact and preferably the engagement is closely adjacent to the pivot.

When the handle in Figure l is moved to the right the end of the spring in block Gr A is carried around pivot D stressing the spring until said end passes the line extending from pivot D through the other end of the spring, whereupon said spring will operate the knife blade independently of the handle with a very quick break, the spring turning bodily 180 in a plane parallel to the knife blade and handle member and arm b5 yieldingly limiting the movement ineaeai of the blade while arm b4 yieldingly limits l the movement of the handle member. Reverse movement of the handle will again stress the spring but in the opposite direction and the spring will then actuate the knife blade with a quick make, the recoil of the blade in this movement being prevented by arm b4 and of the handle member by arm b5. e

In Figure 4 I illustrate my invention as applied to a plurality of units, two being shown, and each unit is exactly the same as in Figures l and 2 except that I have interchanged the member E for an insulating cross-bar EG and except that the knife blades are connected by the cross-bar E5 so that the two handle members E Ii] operate in unison and the two knife blades operatevin unison. The cross-bar E is connectedd to handle E by screw E? as before and it is provided at each end with two screw holes so that fasteningscrews may be used to engage the tangs e and e4 of each member E, thus requiring no change whatever in the device of Figures 1 and '2 except the use of member E for member E. K

The cross-bar E5 requires no change whatever in the single units, it being attached by screw e to tang f of one knife blade and by screw c7 to tang f of the other knife blade.

I could thus unite any desired number of units by providing cross-bars EG and E of suitable length for the desiredl number of units.

What I claim is:

l. A knife switch comprising a handle; a. pivoted blade; and means including a spring connecting the handle and blade through which the latter is controlled by the former but operates independently thereof with a quick make and a quick break; a fixed contact; and a stop independent of the xed contact to limit the movement of said blade as it is moved into engagement with said lixed contact, said stop engaging the blade at the half thereof nearer to the pivot.

' 2. A knife switch comprising a handle; a pivoted blade; and means including a spring connecting they handle and blade through whichvthe latter` is controlled by the former but operates independently thereof with a quick make and a quick break; a fixed contact; and a yielding stop to limit the movement of said blade as it is moved into engagement with said fixed contact, said stop engaging said blade closely adjacent to said pivot.

i 3. A pivoted blade; and means including a spring connecting the handle and blade through which the latter is controlled by the former but operates independently thereof with a quick make and a quick break; a fixed contact; and means to yieldingly limit the f movement of said blade as .it-is moved away A from said fixed contact, sald stop engaglng said blade closely adjacent to said Pivot.

4. A knife switch comprislnga handle; a pivoted blade; and means including aspring connecting theI handle and blade through which the latteris controlled by the former but operates independently thereof 'with a quick make and a quick break; a fixed contact; and a single spring whose ends pro-v vide-two stops, one for limiting the opening movement of said blade and onefor hmitlng the closing movement thereof, said ends enand la spring supported byfsaid base andhaving an end acting as a stop tolimit the movementof'said blade,.the latter having a -portion to engage the under .sideof'said end of the spring to provide saidlimita tion.- i 6. AA knife switch comprising ahandlej a pivoted blade; and means including a sprm connecting the handle and/blade throug which the latter is controlled by the former but. operates independently .thereofwith a quick makeand a quick break; a fixed contact; a base supporting said fixed contact;

anda spring supported by said base and having an en d acting as a stop'tolimit the movement of said blade, the lat-ter having an integral portion-to engage the under side of said end of the spring to' provide said limitation.

7. A device of the character described comprising va pivoted knife blade having an arm projecting from the pivoted end of said'- blade; and resilient stopping means embracing said larm and coperating therewith to yleldingly limit the movement of in both directions.

8. A device of the character described comprising a pivoted knife blade having an arm projecting from the pivoted end of said blade; and a bow spring embracing said arm andhaving ends which act as stops to 'yieldj l ingly limit the movement of said blade in both directions. 9. A device of the character described comprisinga handle member having a pro-` jection; a knife blade member having a projection, a spring operatively connecting said members; and a yielding stop engaging i the projection of said' blade to limit'the closing. movement of. the blade and engaging the projection of the handle member to limit engagement with the other member.

said blade actuating the knife blade independently of the movement of thelatter in. either diretion.

10. A device of the character described l comprising two upright posts; a `handle :member and -a knife blade member -arranged sideyby sideY but spaced'apart and pivoted betweensaid posts; anda spun whose body portion is movable within s ai to and actuated by the handle member and space' one end of the spring being fastened the other end fastened to and actuating the blade.V

' 11; A device of the character described com rising a handle member and a knife p bla e member arranged side by side but. spaced apart; anda spring whose body por-v tion ismovable within said space, one end'of the spring being fastened to and actuated by the Ahandle member and the other end fastened toand actuating the. blade, each of saidmemb'ers acting to hold said spring in" 12; A manually controlled quick make and quick break knife switch comprisin a handle member; a blade' member; an a bow springfastened to and 'actuating said members and operating between said members.

13. v A manually controlled quick make and .quick break knife switch comprising a pivoted flat handle member and a pivoted flat knlfe blade member arranged side' by side but spaced slight1y.apart; a Aspring con-` necting said members and being compressed to a predeterminedldegree by said handle member and thereafter-operating said blade mem'ber independently of the handle member with a quick make and quick break, the body of said spring moving operatively within said space.

14; A device of the character described comprising a knife blade. member; a handle vtened to the handle' member and the other end fastened to the blade member and being put under compression by said handle member to a predetermined degree, and then the handle member, said 'spring moving bodily in a planebetween, and parallel with, s 'a1d members. 15.. A knife switch comprising a handle;

'a pivoted blade; means including a spring connecting the handle Rand Vblade through which the latter is vcontrolled by the former l.but operative independently thereofv with a quick make and a -quicklbreak; a fixed-contact; and a spring vwhose end provides for limiting movement of the blade, said end en.

gaging said blade closely adjacent vto said pivot.,

HERMAN G. PAPE.-

105 member; and a spring having one'end fas. 7 

